https://www.pacific.edu/academics/sustainability-degree-bs
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Science
Majors Offered
Sustainability (BS)
The Bachelor of Science in Sustainability is an interdisciplinary, cross-college major at the University of the Pacific. Graduates of our program will be equipped to examine issues of growing concern (including climate change, economic inequality, community wellness, biodiversity loss) through future leadership roles in wide-ranging sectors including engineering, business, community development, environmental science, and health and wellness. Students will develop a foundational understanding of sustainability concepts (people, planet, prosperity and their interrelationships) and the problem-solving and leadership skills needed to develop and implement innovative solutions.
Bachelor of Science Major in Sustainability
Students must complete a minimum of 120 units with a Pacific cumulative and major/program grade point average of 2.0 in order to earn the bachelor of science in sustainability.
I. General Education Requirements
For more details, see General Education
Minimum 28 units and 9 courses that include:
A. CORE Seminars (2 courses)
| CORE 001 | Problem Solving & Oral Comm | 3 |
| CORE 002 | Writing and Critical Thinking | 4 |
Note: 1) CORE Seminars cannot be taken for Pass/No Credit. 2) Transfer students with 28 or more transfer credits taken after high school are exempt from both CORE seminars.
B. Breadth Requirement (7 courses, at least 3 units each)
| At least one course from each of the following areas: | ||
Artistic Process & Creation | ||
Civic & Global Responsibility | ||
Language & Narratives | ||
Quantitative Reasoning | ||
Scientific Inquiry | ||
Social Inquiry | ||
World Perspectives & Ethics | ||
Note: 1) No more than 2 courses from a single discipline can be used to meet the Breadth Requirement.
C. Diversity and Inclusion Requirement
| All students must complete Diversity and Inclusion coursework (at least 3 units) | ||
Note: 1) Diversity and Inclusion courses can also be used to meet the breadth category requirements, or major or minor requirements.
D. Fundamental Skills
| Students must demonstrate competence in: | ||
Writing | ||
Quantitative Analysis (Math) | ||
Note: 1) Failure to satisfy the fundamental skills requirements by the end of four semesters of full-time study at the University is grounds for academic disqualification.
II. Breadth Requirement
Students must complete 60 units outside the primary discipline of the first major, regardless of the department who offers the course(s) in that discipline. (This includes general education courses, transfer courses, CPCE/EXTN units, internships, etc.).
III. Major Requirements
Students must complete all Sustainability core courses and four courses from a selected concentration.
| Sustainability Core | ||
| SUST 010 | Sustainability Seminar | 1 |
| SUST 044 | Introduction to Sustainability | 4 |
| SUST 101 | Systems of Sustainability | 4 |
| SUST 151 | Methods in Sustainability | 4 |
| SUST 185 | Capstone in Sustainability 1 | 3 |
| SUST 186 | Capstone in Sustainability 2 | 3 |
| DATA 010 | Excel | 1 |
| DATA 011 | Tableau | 1 |
| DATA 012 | Power BI | 1 |
| COOP 188 | Career Search Essentials | 1 |
| GESC 103 | Earth's Changing Climate | 4 |
| MATH 037 | Introduction to Statistics and Probability | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Spatial Analysis | ||
| Applications of Data Science | ||
| Select one of the following Human- Environment Interactions courses: | 3-4 | |
| Environment: Concepts and Issues | ||
| Water and Environmental Policy | ||
| Environmental Health and Literature | ||
| Environmental Science for Informed Citizens | ||
| John Muir and the Environmental Movement | ||
| Global Environmental Policy | ||
| Select one of the following Economic Drivers of Sustainability Decisions courses: | 3-4 | |
| Marketing Management | ||
| Sustainable Engineering | ||
| Environmental and Natural Resource Economics | ||
| Select one of the following Social Challenges in Sustainability courses: | 3-4 | |
| Foundations of Public Health and Community Wellness | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Diversity, Equity and Inequality | ||
| Select one of the following Storytelling courses: | 3-4 | |
| Digital Communication | ||
| Persuasion | ||
| Data Visualization and Storytelling | ||
| Introduction to Digital Humanities | ||
| Content Engineering | ||
| Digital Narratives | ||
| Principles of Storytelling | ||
| Communicating for Change Concentration (complete 4 courses)* | 14-16 | |
| Leadership and Change | ||
| Communication & Health | ||
| Digital Communication | ||
| Public Advocacy | ||
| Documentary Film Production | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Persuasion | ||
| Data Visualization and Storytelling | ||
| Introduction to Digital Humanities | ||
| Content Engineering | ||
| Media Tools | ||
| Film Production | ||
| Digital Narratives | ||
| Healthy Futures Concentration (complete 4 courses)* | 14-16 | |
| Emerging Infectious Diseases | ||
| Communication & Health | ||
| Environmental Health and Literature | ||
| Environmental Science for Informed Citizens | ||
| Foundations of Public Health and Community Wellness | ||
| Epidemiology | ||
| Global Health and Policy | ||
| Global Environmental Policy | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
| Sustainable Communities Concentration (complete 4 courses)* | 14-16 | |
| Public Advocacy | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Economic Development | ||
| Foundations of Public Health and Community Wellness | ||
| Global Health and Policy | ||
| Urban Government | ||
| Global Environmental Policy | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
| Urban Society | ||
| Social Organizations | ||
| Sustainable Design Concentration (complete 4 courses)* | 14-16 | |
| Design Thinking | ||
| Advertising and Commercial Design | ||
| Environmental Engineering | ||
| Design of Water Quality Control Facilities | ||
| Solid Waste Systems Design and Management | ||
| Structural Timber Design | ||
| Structural Steel Design | ||
| Reinforced Concrete Design | ||
| Sustainable Engineering | ||
| Environmental and Natural Resource Economics | ||
| Energy Conversion | ||
| Design and Innovation and Design and Innovation Lab | ||
| Engineering Project Management | ||
| Systems Engineering Management | ||
| Materials Engineering and Materials Engineering Lab | ||
| Engineering Design Thinking | ||
| Material Processing and Selection | ||
| AI for Designers | ||
| Sustainable Infrastructure Concentration (complete 4 courses)* | 14-16 | |
| Environmental Engineering | ||
| Design of Water Quality Control Facilities | ||
| Solid Waste Systems Design and Management | ||
| Structural Timber Design | ||
| Structural Steel Design | ||
| Reinforced Concrete Design | ||
| Sustainable Engineering | ||
| Energy Conversion | ||
| Design and Innovation and Design and Innovation Lab | ||
| Engineering Project Management | ||
| Systems Engineering Management | ||
| Sustainable Planet Concentration (complete 4 courses)* | 14-16 | |
| Environment: Concepts and Issues | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Ecology and Conservation Biology | ||
| Water and Environmental Policy | ||
| Sustainable Engineering | ||
| Environmental Science for Informed Citizens | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Critical Zone Science | ||
| John Muir and the Environmental Movement | ||
| Epidemiology | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Global Environmental Policy | ||
| Sustainability in Business Concentration (complete 4 courses)* | 14-16 | |
| The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business | ||
| Marketing Management | ||
| Marketing Research | ||
| Consumer Behavior | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Global Economic Issues | ||
| International Trade | ||
| Economic Development | ||
| Environmental and Natural Resource Economics | ||
| Design and Innovation and Design and Innovation Lab | ||
| Project Decision Making | ||
| Design your own Concentration (select 4 courses in any of the concentrations):Design your own Concentration (select 4 courses in any of the concentrations) Experiential Learning: | 14-16 | |
| Select one of the following:** | 4 | |
| Internship | ||
| Independent Research | ||
- *
Courses taken in the Sustainability core may not count for concentrations.
- **
Students can also complete the Civic Action or Sustainability Fellows program.
Note: Only courses graded with a C- or better will count in the major.
Intrdisp Sustainability Courses
SUST 010. Sustainability Seminar. 1 Unit.
This course provides students with a unified cohort experience and essential skills for success in the Sustainability major at Pacific. Students actively participate in curriculum planning, explore techniques for college and career success, and implement strategies for continuous improvement. Students learn about research and internship opportunities and are introduced to campus resources.
SUST 044. Introduction to Sustainability. 4 Units.
This course will introduce you to the essential elements of sustainability. We will explore topics such as climate change, renewable energy, water conservation, agriculture, waste, green building, socially responsible business, ecosystem valuation, microlending, environmental justice, and alternative progress indicators, among others. We will investigate approaches to creating a sustainable future that foster environmental resilience, social equity, and economic growth. (GEGR)
SUST 101. Systems of Sustainability. 4 Units.
This course will develop your expertise in systems-analysis techniques across a wide range of applications. An interdisciplinary approach will be central to the example problems and solutions addressed in the course. This course also includes modeling approaches, from conceptual to quantitative, that will be used to understand complex systems and predict their behavior. Prerequisites: GESC 044 or SUST 044.
SUST 151. Methods in Sustainability. 4 Units.
Science and art of recognizing, describing and analyzing aspects of sustainability across multiple sectors. Lecture and laboratory course on the design and utilization of environmental monitoring, economic evaluation, social impact analysis, and their interrelationships. This course will introduce and develop the tools and techniques utilized in sustainability analysis and develop interdisciplinary approaches to complex problems. Also included is practice in community and stakeholder engagement. Prerequisite: SUST 101.
SUST 185. Capstone in Sustainability 1. 3 Units.
This first semester of the capstone course in sustainability is a culminating experience wherein a group of students synthesize their previous class work into one project. This first course of a two-course series focuses on project development and management while working on a community-proposed sustainability challenge. Students will work in groups that reflect multiple concentrations in the major to bring multiple perspectives and experiences to the team. One or more faculty members and/or professionals are involved depending upon the fields covered in the project. Prerequisites: Sustainability major and senior standing.
SUST 186. Capstone in Sustainability 2. 3 Units.
This second semester of the capstone course in sustainability is a culminating experience wherein a group of students synthesize their previous class work into one project. This second course of a two-course series focuses on project implementation and managing change while working on a community-proposed sustainability challenge. Students will work in groups that reflect multiple concentrations in the major to bring multiple perspectives and experiences to the team. One or more faculty members and/or professionals are involved depending upon the fields covered in the project. Prerequisite: SUST 185.
SUST 187. Internship. 1-4 Units.
SUST 197. Independent Research. 1-4 Units.
Learning Outcomes
By the time a student graduates from this program, they will be able to:
- Understand the multifaceted origins of sustainability challenges and the opportunities presented by their solutions.
- Analyze sustainability challenges in the framework of dynamic and integrated environmental, economic, and social systems.
- Embody sustainability principles to thrive personally and professionally.
- Understand and ethically address issues in the context of thriving communities at multiple scales (local, regional, national, and global).
- Use a systems approach to collect, analyze, and synthesize multi-disciplinary data to responsibly solve complex problems.
- Effectively tell the stories of sustainability to a wide range of audiences across many media.
- Collaborate on a team whose members collectively provide leadership and create an inclusive environment to implement lasting change.
